Family Planning and Reproductive Health
- Standardizing Measurement of Contraceptive Use Among Unmarried Women
Because contraceptive prevalence and unmet need for family planning estimates for unmarried women vary widely depending on the chosen sexual recency inclusion factor, all data platforms should adopt a 1-month window in these calculations to have comparable and actionable estimates.
- The Open Birth Interval: A Resource for Reproductive Health Programs and Women's Empowerment
The open birth interval is the time since a woman's last birth. It reflects not only desire for contraception and child health services but also freedom for outside activities, employment, and personal autonomy. It merits attention from policy makers, program managers, and service providers.
- Provider Bias in Family Planning Services: A Review of Its Meaning and Manifestations
Provider bias, including bias regarding client age, parity, and marital status, persists as an important barrier to contraceptive choice and access. Newer approaches to mitigate bias that have moved beyond training and guideline development to more fundamental behavior change show promise.
- Unintended Consequences of mHealth Interactive Voice Messages Promoting Contraceptive Use After Menstrual Regulation in Bangladesh: Intimate Partner Violence Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial
Automated interactive voice messages about post-menstrual regulation contraception delivered to women in Bangladesh via mobile phone were associated with increased reports of intimate partner violence. This finding highlights the importance of taking steps to minimize risk when delivering phone messages on sensitive topics and the need for assessing violence in such situations.
- Operationalizing Integrated Immunization and Family Planning Services in Rural Liberia: Lessons Learned From Evaluating Service Quality and Utilization
Providers, managers, and clients valued the integrated service delivery model. Trends indicated slightly higher family planning uptake in intervention facilities, but that difference was not statistically significant. Intrafacility referrals by postpartum women did not negatively affect immunization utilization rates.
- Increasing Family Planning Access in Kenya Through Engagement of Faith-Based Health Facilities, Religious Leaders, and Community Health Volunteers
The Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) partnered with health facilities managed by faith-based organizations (FBOs), religious leaders, and community health volunteers to increase access to family planning in western Kenya. FBO-managed health facilities saw large increases in family planning uptake over the 5-year project, particularly for implants.
- Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation of Community-Based Injectable Contraception: Multisourced Process and New Global Guidance
We based our guidance on a literature review, technical consultation, and case studies of 3 countries. We identified 4 essential indicators: enough community health workers (CHWs) certified to provide injectables to meet project goals, CHWs are appropriately supervised, stock of injectables is reliable, and clients are receiving injections.
- Introduction of Community-Based Provision of Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA-SC) in Benin: Programmatic Results
Lay community health workers and facility-based health care providers in Benin were trained to administer DMPA-SC safely and effectively in 10 health zones. Community-based DMPA-SC was popular, particularly among new users of contraception, and could help the country achieve its family planning goals.
- Are Procured Quantities of Implants Adequate and Appropriate? Modeling Procurement, Inventory, and Consumption of Contraceptive Implants During Rapid Uptake
Recent rapid increases in implant procurement have not resulted in system overstocks to date. We found no standard factor for relating inventory quantities to consumption rates. Rather, that relationship requires specific understanding of the country supply chain, inventory control parameters, and current and future demand.
- Efficacy of a Digital Health Tool on Contraceptive Ideation and Use in Nigeria: Results of a Cluster-Randomized Control Trial
A mobile digital health tool piloted in Kaduna City, Nigeria, was efficacious in promoting positive contraceptive attitudes and encouraging women to adopt a modern contraceptive method, thus showing potential for reducing unmet need in Nigeria.